In the development of satellite technologies, antenna flexibility, configurability, and aperture size affect the types of missions which can be performed by the satellite and define the variety of environments in which the satellite can operate. As more exotic mission applications are developed, antennas and antenna deployment subsystems need to be optimized to specifically tailor satellites to particular missions.
As spacecraft capabilities and mission applications require increased information transmission capabilities, multiple large-aperture deployable antennas have been developed. Due to design limitations, antennas are conventionally stowed and deployed at different locations on a spacecraft when there are more than two antennas.
FIGS. 1A and 1B depict an example of a conventional antenna stowage and deployment system for a spacecraft with four antennas, in a stowed state and a deployed state, respectively. Specifically, conventional antenna stowage and deployment system 100 includes spacecraft 101, nesting antennas 102 to 105, and deployable appendages 107 and 108, where nesting antennas 102 to 105 are illustrated as reflectors. Nesting antennas 102 to 105 are affixed to spacecraft 101 via 1-axis hinges, including 1-axis hinges 106.
In the stowed state (FIG. 1A), 1-axis hinges 106 are in the retracted position, and nesting antennas 102 to 105 are stowed, minimizing the volume necessary to store conventional antenna stowage and deployment system 100 on a launch vehicle. In the deployed state (FIG. 1B), 1-axis hinges 106 are in a fully extended position, deploying nesting antennas 102 to 105 so that electronic signals emanating from associated unnumbered feeders can be reflected off deployed and oriented antennas 102 to 105, and directed to a receiver.
To its disadvantage, however, the conventional antenna stowage and deployment system utilizes nesting antennas 102 to 105 which are positioned on obverse sides of spacecraft 101, negatively affecting appendage flexibility and configurability, and reducing the number and types of missions which can be performed by the satellite.
Since conventional large antennas need to be tied down at launch, multiple equally-spaced launch restraints or tie-downs are typically used to prevent damage of antennas on conventional spacecraft. In FIG. 1, for example, launch restraints for nesting antennas 104 and 105 are located at launch restraint locations 110 to 113. Additional non-illustrated launch restraints are also required for nesting antennas 102 and 103.
Prior to deployment, launch restraints for each antenna are cut using, for example, small explosive charges. Since the antenna are conventionally located on obverse sides of a spacecraft, individual launch restraints and launch restraint severing mechanisms must be designed for each antenna. This further necessitates the inclusion of duplicitous launch restraint control mechanisms, increasing spacecraft volume and mass, and reducing overall mission capabilities.
It is therefore considered highly desirable to provide an improved antenna stowage and deployment system for a spacecraft with more than two antennas. In particular, it is desirable to provide an enhanced system which allows more than two antennas to be placed adjacently on a spacecraft, minimizing the volume of the system and reducing the number of necessary launch restraints.